Just a Drop in the Ocean
by kideaxl
Summary: Ruby has always been bereft of family… or has she? Disjointed memories tell her different. She once lived in a far different place, a harsher land. With a lull of peace in her and her friends' Shinigami adventures, she searches for some form of closure. Things do not go as planned.
1. Chapter 1

1\. When time fades away

 _There once was a house filled with love. There was a man so strong, a woman so kind, and two girls so joyous: Gold Locks and Little Red. But one day, the woman left, for her duty called._

 _She did not return._

 _A house of love became one of sadness. That was until Gold Locks thought of an idea so grand. She and Little Red would find the woman. Surely they could, for Gold was brave and Red loyal. Pulling a wagon with all her might, Gold Locks carried her little girl to find the woman._

 _So Little Red slept and dreamt good dreams of cookies, laughter, and warm hugs between the man and woman. Little Red awoke as she heard her Gold Locks gasp. Opening eyes of silver and curiosity, she quivered._

 _In Gold Lock's path, shadows so horrid sprung forth. Each shadow was armed with fangs and claws. As their courage waned, more and more shadows eclipsed their path. Gleeful red eyes stared them down in ravenous spite and desire._

 _And so they jumped, Gold Locks flinched and Little Red cried. Gold Locks, oh so brave but oh so weak, could not turn the tides as the shadows overran them and took one girl from the other. Little Red could see nothing but the shadows as darkness swallowed her whole._

 _Sad Little Red could faintly see her Gold run towards her shouting pleas in desperation._

 _But it was for naught. Little Red was swallowed into the abyss and Brave Gold Locks would become heartbroken. The girl of red cried heavy tears as she sank into the painful, dark, and lonely abyss. She fell and fell and fell some more before she was crushed by the ground._

And so Ruby Rose was startled awake. Blinking burning eyes, she saw her notebook and pencil laying askew on her lap. Her back was supported by a soft and warm wall that she couldn't help but snuggle into. Faintly, she heard the sedate beating of a heart.

"Five minutes, a new record, shorty", a deep gruff voice announced from above her. The tremble of his voice tickling her back. While there was clear annoyance and sarcasm lacing his tone, there was an undercurrent of concern. Well, only if one knew where to search.

Ruby chuckled nervously as she attempted to shrug innocently, "Oops?" She felt a smidge guilty for wasting his time considering that he had been willing to tutor her a bit.

She felt his prominent glare increase and bear down on her. Anxiously, she looked up. Past the vibrant orange hair, she saw intense dark eyes behind his stylish glasses. His lips were thin and eyes narrowed. She fluttered her eyes.

Ichigo Kurosaki sighed tiredly. "You're the one that sucks at History. Never mind, I knew this was going to happen anyway", he muttered as he adjusted Ruby in between his legs. "Nervous?" The teen asked as in an unusually soft voice.

Ruby looked down with a difficult expression as she grimaced. "Just a little bit", she said shyly. Admitting things such as this always made her feel awkward.

"Just a little?" Ichigo asked with no accusation.

"Ok, maybe a lot", she finally admitted. "What if Kisuke can't figure anything out? I'm starting to think I'm crazy and desperate."

Ichigo put away his own text book as he rested his head atop of hers. "You're just getting cold feet. If nothing else, Kisuke is a freak at things like this. It's going to be ok."

Ruby frowned as she faced him, while riddled with insecurity, "But, a whole world with shadow monsters? That's a little on the crazy side."

"We've been to multiple worlds already", Ichigo pointed out amusedly.

She didn't appreciate the humor and she moved unto his lap as she smacked him on the chest, "This is serious. Besides it isn't the same. Spirit Society is the afterlife and Hallow land isn't really a world. I'm probably making up a whole planet, a whole family. What orphan doesn't want to have a family?"

He grunted in agreement to the notion. Huffing lightly, he pulled Ruby into a hug. Gently, he stroked her dark hair and twirled his fingers against the red fridges of her hair. "We'll find your family. This isn't like you Ruby. Pessimism doesn't suit you, that's my thing. Take your own advice, smile a little, weapon dork."

She pouted a little at that. "Hey! I'm not a weapon dork! I just have an appreciation for the finer things in life."

Ichigo rolled his eyes, "A little kid shouldn't be dazzled by brass knuckles."

"And you were being so sweet too", she complained playfully. "Thanks", she said sincerely.

"If you two are done being lovey dovey, get in here", a confident voice called out. At the door was the figure of one of Ichigo's little sisters, Karin.

Ruby giggled as Ichigo lifted her off his lap. "You need us?" Ruby asked.

"Times a wasting", the energetic Kurosaki stated as she pulled Ruby by the hands. Ichigo followed sedately.

As they reached the door to the dining room, Karin pushed her in first.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" A group of her friends cried out. In the mix was Orihime, Sado, Uryu, Tatsuki and some of her own classmates.

Ruby looked flabbergasted, "It _is_ my birthday." She had been so concerned about the Kisuke issue that it had escaped her mind. She snapped her fingers, "That's why you let me sleep."

"We're going back to studying after this." His tone allowed no room for argument.

"Aah man", Ruby whined, causing Ichigo's other sister, Karin, to giggle.

"IIICCCHHIIIGGGOOO!" A boisterous voice roared as it raced towards Ichigo.

Seeing the drop kick from a mile away, Ichigo ducked underneath the feet, clutched the ankle and slammed the man into the ground, face first.

"Mr. Kurosaki, are you alright?" Ruby asked in a panic as she kneed down towards Ichigo's father's fallen form.

Said man held her hands as tears rain down his face, "Sweet daughter-in-law, Ichigo hurt me. Scold him." Near the end of his request, he was began whining like a child.

Ichigo slammed his right foot on his father's back, "Don't whine to her, she's not the boss of me."

"Ichigo, Ichigo, Ichigo, you foolish son. Every girlfriend is the boss of their significant other."

Ichigo grew angrier as he saw his father's smug appearance.

"Make a wish, Ruby", Yuzu instructed excitedly.

Smiling, she walked up to the chocolate cake with her name written in cream. Breathing in, she blew out all sixteen of her candles.

"What did you wish for?" Yuzu asked.

Ruby looked to Ichigo and tried to look as teary eyed as possible.

"No."

"Pretty please."

"The answer's still no. Stop looking at me like that."

"I'll love you forever~."

"You aren't getting my sword."

"Oh, sweet wife, my horrid son is so cruel to me and his beloved. When did he get so selfish!?" Ichigo's father cried as he prostrated to the portrait of the late Kurosaki matriarch.

Ichigo looked frustrated, Karin embarrassed, and Yuzu sighed.

Ruby smiled. Even if they weren't her family by blood, the Kurosaki household had always welcomed her with open arms. She felt the strong callused hand of Ichigo resting on her shoulder. A somehow gentle smirk plastered on his face as though he felt her concern.

"Happy birthday to you Ruby, my former employee", Kisuke said in sing song as he entered the room. His fan covered the bottom portion of his face. In his free hand was a nicely wrapped gift. "This is for you. Do come to the shop tomorrow, I believe you'll be quite pleased."

Ruby's smile grew radiant, "Thank you so much!" She ran and squeezed the man tightly in a hug.

"It was my pleasure", he said genuinely for a change. Patting the girl on the back, he waved smugly at the orange haired teen, "Jealous, Ichigo? It seems she's on to better things."

"Cute", Ichigo said with gritted teeth. While he wasn't jealous exactly, he was annoyed by the grieve he got from select people when they found out about his relationship with Ruby. "I haven't heard that one before", he said sarcastically. Still he was happy for Ruby, so he would let the man get his jokes in without retaliation.

Today.

...

 **Author's Note:**

 **New story alert. This was just one of the numerous ideas that randomly popped into my head. I planned for this one to be a short story.**

 **If the readers don't mind could you tell me if the interaction between Ruby and Ichigo was both organic and true to their characters?**

 **Also how was the beginning dream sequence? I tried to make it fairy tale like, did I succeed? Do keep in mind that it was a dream passed on her memories from a very young age, there are some intentionally missing information.**

 **Please remember to review, I love the feedback. And if you have the time, check out some of my other stories.**


	2. Chapter 2

2\. A tree falls.

The day after Ruby's birthday, Ichigo found himself trekking through the rain. Trudging to the apartment complex, he shook the extra moisture off his shoes. Taking the elevator, he finally reached Ruby's apartment 333. Ichigo knocked the door loudly.

"Coming!" Ruby shouted from her apartment.

The next several minutes Ichigo heard the sounds of things being knocked onto the ground. Ichigo leaned his forehead on the door as he prayed that Ruby didn't destroy her home just trying to get to the front door. As the sounds of collisions continued, he imagined a sheepish younger Ruby burning down his kitchen.

The door was rushed open and Ruby's head popped out the door. "Hey, Ichigo."

"You're late", Ichigo stated.

It took a couple of seconds before her eyes grew wide with understanding. "I'll be right back!" Before Ichigo could say anything else, she slammed the door in his face.

Ichigo looked thoroughly unimpressed with the turn of events. Even as the sounds of crashes grew more chaotic, he couldn't help but chuckle just a bit. Ruby would lose her head if it wasn't attached. Crossing his arms, he patiently waited.

"What are you waiting for?" Ruby cried as she rushed out of the door. Taking Ichigo by the hand, she raced out of the apartment complex. Only rose petals were left behind in the hall.

Ichigo gritted his teeth as water splashed against his face as his girlfriend used her superhuman speed. It was an innate ability she had since youth. Every second she got faster and faster. Despite the difference of their body type and weight, him being significantly larger and more muscular than her, she was able to pull him along.

"Listen to what I'm trying to say. Slow down!"

"No can do, Ichigo. We're late enough, hold on", Ruby said with determination. She was fortunate that the rain deterred others from the road. Rose petals galore were spread over the street as they were carried by the rushing rain, simply to flicker out of existence.

They reached Kisuke's shop in a matter of minutes.

"We're here, guys", Ruby cried as she stomped into the shop, soaking wet.

Her state of attire had Kisuke giggling behind his signature fan. "I see you came here in a rush. Should I be concerned about your fashion sense?"

Ruby tilted her head as she tried to figure out what he meant. Looking down, she grew embarrassed. She had left her apartment in her pajamas, which were now drenched. "Ichika, why didn't you say anything?"

Ichigo responded with an unmoved glare.

She chuckled nervously in return, "I guess I got a little excited. Sorry." She began to bow rapidly.

"No need to be so grumpy, Ichigo~. Luckily for you, I prepared for such an emergency. What a responsible adult I am." After passing a change of clothes to Ruby, he tossed one right at Ichigo's face.

As it dropped to the ground with a plop, the orange haired teen had to resist the urge to throttle his fighting master. Ruby wouldn't approve of homicide.

A few minutes later, all the teens stood in front of Kisuke. Each one wore a black button shirt or blouse with equally dark pants or skirts. The only difference between them were the varying color of their accents and ties. Ichigo, Ruby, Chad, Orihime, and Uryu wore orange, red, green, pink, and blue respectively.

"We look like a ridiculous pop band. This better have a point", Ichigo warned as he crossed his arms. His ire from his impromptu shower hadn't lowered a bit. Drips of rainwater fell from his dampened hair.

"Let me help you with that, Ichigo", Ruby warmly suggested. In her hands was a light pink towel. Being considerably taller than Ruby, Ichigo had to crouch down for her to reach his moist hair, "Thanks."

"No problem", she said honestly as she gently dried his hair.

"While the lovely couple is having their moment, let me explain. If you would direct your attention to the gate behind me", Kisuke began as he pointed towards the sliding door behind him. It wasn't connected to any portion of the shop. "I was able to match the energy from Ruby's intrinsic signature to a separate reality. I won't bore you with the details, but it took a lot of trial and genius."

"So, you're saying that there are many more worlds than we were aware of. This supposedly leads to Ruby's homeland. Can we even survive the conditions of the world or even the trip?" Uryu questioned sternly.

"Of course, he wouldn't send us without making sure it was safe", Ruby said in Kisuke's defense.

"You wound me, children. You should follow Ruby's example and believe in me."

"No", Ichigo and Uryu said in unity.

"Frowning like that all the time will give you wrinkles, Ichigo. Believe me, I have your best interests in mind." While the females of the group smiled at him in appreciation, the male portion weren't as welcoming. Undeterred by the lack of praise on the latter's part, he smiled brightly.

Orihime did a little twirl in her outfit. "These clothes are so pretty. Did you design them yourself?"

"Of course! They're not only stylish, but functional. All of your clothing has been designed to record the environment of the brave new world. The more varied the areas you visit, the better. And, it allows us in mission control to keep track of your health. Go my little munchkins, discover the new land and make be proud… and famous. Oh, heads up, it would be best if certain authorities weren't aware of this. It's not really their concern, right?"

"Right, suspicious and illegal. That's so new." Ichigo made no attempt to hide his heavy sarcasm, therefore getting a light nudge in the ribs by Ruby. He shrugged. There was no reason to pull his punches. "It's true."

"I see you've gained your father's rudeness. No matter, step right up."

"I'm going first", Ichigo stated as he walked to the gate. Before he entered, Ichigo nodded at Kisuke with the utmost respect. "You did good, Kisuke. Don't ever doubt that." The two males were silent, a level of understanding passing between the two. With no further words, the orange haired teen walked through the gate.

All but Ruby followed suit.

Turning around, Ruby rushed towards Kisuke and embraced him tightly, "Thank you so much. I knew you could do it. You're the greatest genius in the world after all. "

Kisuke returned the hug as he rubbed her back. "Of course. Go find your family. You need this", he said solemnly.

"I'll see you later." Her goodbye said, she ran through the gate.

"Of course, Ruby", Kisuke said unconvincingly as an aura of reluctance and regret settled on the shop.

When the light of the gate died down, Kisuke sighed deeply. Dropping to his chair, he pulled an album from his table. Depicted on a page was an image of Kisuke with a young Ruby sitting on his lap. The eight-year-old Ruby was wearing a pink sundress while giving a wide toothy smile. Her eyes were covered by Kisuke's hat. Kisuke was genuinely smiling in the picture.

"Good luck, Ruby." Alone in his shop, he continued flipping through his album of his life together with Ruby.


	3. Chapter 3

3\. It's all roses from here

On the other side of the gate Ruby was greeted with the breathtaking sight of a new world. The air here was clearer than back home. That mystique lasted for all of two seconds. Then, she plummeted. Just below her, the rest of the crew were experiencing the same thing.

"It's always the same thing with that man!" Ichigo roared.

"Why do we let that man do anything?" Uryu questioned as he frantically held onto his glasses.

"He isn't that bad," Ruby defended before her eyes widened. "Ground incoming guys!"

Ichigo nodded before clutching his substitute badge and separating his spirit from his body. Ichigo grabbed Chad and Uryu and stomped feet first into the ground, a small crater forming beneath them. Ruby hugged Ichigo's physical body and Orihime by the waist as she disappeared into a flutter of rose petals. Unlike her boyfriend's, she had a buffer of wind to cushion her descent.

"Such a nice start to this merry adventure," Ichigo muttered as he let his friends down.

Ruby appeared by his side to nudge him in the ribs, "Don't be like that. Maybe falling from the sky was a bit of a surprise, but what's an adventure without some excitement? Did you see the view, it was beautiful. Eh, eh?" Her nudging continued.

Smiling, he lightly shoved her back, "Alright, you've made your point."

"All of you get on the ground!" A coarse voice roared. It was a man wearing a dark uniform and a bone white mask with red accents. Growling, the man held a high powered gun at towards them. A crew of similar dressed people marched behind him.

The teens looked at the aggressive group then at the ground. None seemed pleased with the idea. Uryu coughed to get their attention, "Good sirs, there seems to be a misunderstanding. We meant no harm with our accidental trespassing. If you would kindly point us towards the nearest town or village, we would be much obliged."

The man held firmly to his weapon, "You won't need those directions. None of you will be leaving here. You humans should've never crossed the White Fang."

Uryu pushed his glasses up, "I see. It appears that they're a brutish bunch. Such a shame civilized communications won't work." He glanced towards Ichigo, "I believe this is the area of your expertise."

Ichigo snorted even as he cracked his knuckles. "Some punks just need to be punched before they decide to be helpful. You got my back, Chad?"

"As always," Chad stated as he too cracked his knuckles.

What happened in the next minute wasn't so much a fight as a visual guide on the many unpleasant and painful ways a body could hit the ground.

The original guy that had been threatening the group was held by the collar by an irate Ichigo. "Anything you want to say buddy?"

"S-Sorry," the man cried with tears running down his swollen face. Ichigo had perhaps gone a touch too far with the physical abuse.

"I see your ego has gone down a peg or two," Uryu stated casually. He had the air of a scolding teacher, as though he himself had been part of the battle. "Now that you're willing to be civilized…"

His declaration was cut off by Ruby's squeal of delight, "They're so cute~. Look Ichigo, they have different animal parts." She pointed at the fallen soldiers. All of them had either animal ears, tails, or some other animal like feature. "And they're natural."

"Lower your voice Ruby. I see them."

"Don't be such a downer Ichigo," Orihime scolded lightly before she too squealed at a cat eared woman. A woman who appeared to be wholly uncomfortable by Orihime poking and prodding.

Ichigo continued the questioning, "What was the big idea? I want some answers now."

The man continued to whimper, "I'm sorry. I…"

"Yes?"

"I… I… just wanted to be COOL!" The man finally cried out pitifully.

Everyone, including the man's allies, stared at him incredulously.

"Our division of the White Fang never see any action. I just wanted to make my mark. So when I saw you trespassing, I leapt at the chance. Please don't hurt me."

Uryu took the chance to get the conversation back on track, "Perhaps you should have taken that into consideration before you attacked us. Now I believe you owe us some answers for your rather rash actions. Where exactly are we?" The glint of his glasses promised pain if his questions weren't answered. "And do try to be specific."

"Y-Yes sir! We're on the island of Patch, west from Vale, on world of Remnant, with a broken moon for the nearest satellite… sir!"

Ruby nodded in a serious manner, "Of course, Patch. Just as I expected."

Orihime gasped before clapping cheerfully, "Really? That's amazing. I never knew you were so insightful."

"Ah shucks, it's nothing." Ruby said proudly getting lost in her own story.

"Good work," Chad stated.

Ichigo sighed, "Don't encourage them Chad." He threw the mumbling man aside. It would be best to leave the rest of the questioning to Uryu. Seeing his girlfriend tittering, he questioned her, "What's got you so pumped up?"

Ruby stared at him in sympathy, "How can't I be? We're in a different world, talking to fantasy like people and now we've gained our own soldiers. What's not to be excited about?"

Against his efforts, he couldn't help but crack a smile at the logic, "You do know that these guys are probably criminals? Everything about them is suspicious."

Ruby waved her hand in dismissal, "Suspicious, them? Nah. They're harmless. Just look at them."

He turned to see that the 'leader' was talking nonstop to appease Uryu. The others were mumbling in fear as they attempted to appease said teen. Ichigo was mildly concerned by the power trip that the Quincy was going through. It wouldn't surprise him if Uryu began laughing diabolically as he twirled a mustache and adjusted a monocle.

A loud beeping caught everyone's attention. Dread filling him, Ichigo turned mechanically towards his physical body. The garish tie of his was not only beeping, but it was moving as well. To his displeasure, thing got worse.

"Ichigo~!" Kisuke voice rang form his tie. "I'm sure by now you've exhausted extends of your little teenage mind. But have no fear, I have not forsaken you. You see this tie is not only stylish, but it's also functional. The tie is locked unto Ruby's internal energy. After some calibration time, it should lead you to the nearest concentration of it. Aren't I kind?"

Somehow, this didn't relief him of any dread. After a few seconds of beeping, things escalated even further. With a mind of its own, the tie rose and sped towards its destination.

His physical was dragged for the ride.

Like some demented ragdoll, his body tumbled and his limbs flailed uselessly in the air. As time went on, the tie seemed to grow faster and faster. Ichigo and company could only gape at the sight.

Ruby was first to snap out of it. "Guys, figure out what you can. Ichigo and I will deal with… that." She finished lamely before bursting with speed.

Ichigo followed suit not even a second later. Kisuke and he would have words later.


	4. Chapter 4

4\. Summer's flame

Ichigo's body was dragged at an inhuman speed. His physical face smacked into dirt, sticks, and rocks. All four of his limbs shook randomly making him appear like a literal rag doll. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a slope in the direction of the tie's movement.

Seconds later, Ichigo's body rocketed in the sky while his body's fell into a majestic swan dive.

A red blur appeared just in time to catch the body. "Oh. I did not think this through." Ruby was unable to stop the momentum and was speeding to the ground as well.

"Do you ever?" Ichigo questioned as caught her as she fell. "You would've been a Ruby pancake."

Saying some quick thanks, she dusted herself and huffed, "Well, I wasn't the one swan diving by the neck." Noticing his annoyed expression, she whistled, "It could've happened to anyone, really though."

"Right." Ichigo was thoroughly unconvinced. He returned to his physical body. Grimacing, he stretched his aching body.

Ruby smiled as she jogged ahead of him. Just past the forest they had been traveling was a steep cliff. She came to an abrupt stop as two slabs of stone came into view. Her eyes were drawn to the etched words on them. She could scarcely believe her eyes.

"What's wrong?" She heard Ichigo's voice ring behind her.

She didn't know quite what to tell him. A mixture of thoughts raced through her mind as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. Her hand reached out and caressed the surface of the bigger stone before shifting over to the smaller stone. Slim finger sank into the indentations of the engraved words

These were gravestones.

Faintly, she heard Ichigo kneel by her side.

"Ruby Rose/ Death Bows His Head and Weeps." It was oddly soothing to hear Ichigo's gruff reading of her very own epitaph. His attention turned to the bigger gravestone, "Summer Rose/Thus Kindly I Scatter."

Scenes barely out of reach bombarded her mind. She could faintly remember a woman with dark hair and silver eyes smiling kindly at her. Nothing else truly resonated with Ruby. That hurt more than anything.

"My life before Kisuke is a blur. When we finally get a way to get here, I find out that my mom is gone. To make things worse, I'm dead to what family I have left. I can see it now, 'Hey Mr. Rose, you might've thought your wife and kid were gone, but guess what I'm you daughter.' It'll be a miracle if he doesn't call the loony bin. " Ruby felt her throat growing dry as tears stung at her eyes. She roughly wiped her tears.

She felt momentarily startled when larger hands pulled her own hands away from her face. Laying them on her lap, Ichigo gently held onto them. As warm arms wrapped around her, she nestled backwards, eyes never leaving the gravestones.

Ichigo's deep voice entered her ears. Its tone mixed with both sorrow and understanding, "I know it hurts, but you can't give up. You were sick of being in the dark, and you'll have to accept that not everything will be sunshine and roses. " He rolled his eyes as she made a quiet snort before continuing, "If you stop now, you'll always regret not learning more. You're her legacy, memories or not."

Ruby nodded dolefully.

Sighing, he stood up and walked closer to Summer's gravestone. Clapping his hands and closing his eyes, he spoke, "Thank you for everything you've done for Ruby. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have ever met her. I hope I can bring your wonderful and beautiful daughter happiness in the future. She's a bit of a klutz and a blabbermouth, but she's kind, spirited, and determined. What I'm trying to say is that I love her and I'm sorry I never got to meet you."

Ruby rushed to her feet, her hands waving around in embarrassment. "W-What are you doing!? What are you saying!?"

His reply was a soft smile as he held her at arms length by the forehead. "Wasn't I clear enough? I. Love. You." Each word grew increasingly smug.

To her annoyance, her heart raced and face flushed. It was embarrassing to hear him say such things frankly and out loud, even when they were alone. And it didn't help that the smile he was wearing made him look so darn handsome.

"I love you, too." Her statement was much more shy, but sincere. "I'm sorry for freaking out on you."

"Don't be. This is an emotional adventure for you. And Ruby, it isn't your fault that you can barely remember your mother. I'm the same. Every year it's harder and harder to really remember my own mom. It can't be helped, we were too young. Besides that doesn't stop us from loving them. Right?"

"Right." Fidgeting, she took one last glance at the graves. She swallowed thickly, "Thank you, for everything. Mom. Let's go, Ichigo there's more things I have to find out. Maybe your tie can lead us to the next spot," she finished teasingly.

"We're taking the scenic route this time. I don't trust these clothes. Who knows what else that crazy guy has installed into these." Ichigo crossed his arms indignantly.

Ruby gasped, as though this was the first time her boyfriend had expressed less than complimentary sentiments towards Kisuke. "He isn't crazy. He's a genius in every meaning of the word. Some of his inventions just have kinks at first."

"That's reliable, especially from his biggest fan."

"But his inventions are amazing, especially his work in weaponry." She began to walk with a spring in her step.

"I noticed that you didn't deny the biggest fan statement."

"S-Shut up, Ichigo. Pick up the pace, I don't want to be here all day."

Ichigo smiled in relief.


	5. Chapter 5

5\. In Odin's court

The couple walked at a leisure stride. Passed the memorial site was a dense forest. Ruby was observant of the landscape as though she wanted to memorize each pebble and leaf. This was, should have been, her home. All the experiences that she should've had were long lost.

Ichigo couldn't get a clear read on her mood. At times she appeared wistful, while at others her expression was stormy but thoughtful. He was used to a simpler girl.

At the lowest of her moods her hands nearly crushed his. Ichigo said nothing throughout this, instead he opted to be a silent companion.

A couple of hours passed before they reached civilization. A faded sign labeled the place as Patch. It was a rural village, where each of the homes had a sizable piece of land to themselves. Patch could best be described as cozy.

"Come on, we're getting close," Ichigo stated as he held his tie by the knot. His eyes were very much suspicious. Every now and again he would shake the tie like it was some sort of feral animal that required taming.

"That's good," Ruby replied. Her voice was a touch shaky and uncertain. Her mind was in another place. What confidence the walk had given her was waning by the second. She held his hand to draw strength from.

Her behavior was not lost on him, but he didn't know how to resolve it. This wasn't exactly something he could battle against. Nothing about this situation was simple. Until this moment, he didn't realize just how small she was. Sighing in frustration, not with her but himself, he pulled his arm gently around her shoulder and brought him closer to him.

He could feel the nerves rattling in her body as she shuddered against him. Ruby looked up to him and gave him a fatigued smile. A smile he had only seen when she faced a losing battle.

"We can take a break. All this walking is getting to you. There should be somewhere we can crash a while in."

Ruby shook her head slightly as she chewed her lower lip. "I'm fine. The walk wasn't that bad. Besides I... I mean we shouldn't push this back. You know, this place is pretty. I wonder how things would've been if I was raised here. It's so different from Karakura."

"I can see it now, a little bottle of sunshine running around singing and dancing in the wind. You would be an elegant woman of great stature. You'd eat with four different spoons and give out lesson in etiquette."

Ruby pouted in offense, "Hey! Are you implying I'm not an elegant woman?"

He tilted his head from side to side as though in great thought, "That's about right." His lips were in a full smirk now. "But that's fine. I like that dorky weapon enthusiast part of you. I can hardly imagine you not drooling over someone's weapon. You've made quite the name for yourself in Soul Society. Still, it's one of the many things that make you so charming, and if this birth father of yours can't understand that, then he's not worth the effort."

She returned a smile in response. It was a timid thing that couldn't match her typical radiance, but it relieved Ichigo all the same.

"Really?"

"Of course."

Ruby came to a halt as she saw that they had walked into the center of a fair number of restaurants. The aroma alone had her growing hungry. She spared a moment to take a big whiff of the mixture of decadent scents. She sent a look towards Ichigo.

He shrugged easily enough and she pulled him towards the nearest restaurant. When they entered, they were greeted with smiles and welcomes from both the staff and the customers. Ruby mumbled through greetings while Ichigo gave a relaxed nod.

They were seated and quickly chose their desired meals. Ruby ordered a burger with fries. Ichigo picked the tuna melts with coffee. When their meals were served, Ruby dug right in, tearing her burger apart. Ichigo wasn't in any such rush.

"Can you actually taste anything?"

"Yup. It's great," Ruby swallowed a chunk of the food before wiping her mouth.

Ichigo took a sip of his warm coffee as he eyed her carefully. Putting down the mug, he leaned back in his chair, "What's gotten into your head this time?"

Ruby stopping devouring her meal.

He shook his head before she could say anything, "Don't think I don't know what you're doing. You are stalling. First you say the meeting can't wait, now you're starving. This flip flopping isn't doing any good." His expression dipped into concern as he rested his hand on her own. "Look, you don't have to do this."

Ruby turned her face away, "I want to do this... I think." She broke into a sigh and dropped her head onto the table, "Why does this have to be so complicated. This must be annoying to you."

Ichigo pushed his mug towards her and she happily began drinking from it. The warmth seemed to ease her a bit.

"It isn't."

"Hmm?" Ruby questioned as she put down the mug.

He gently placed his fingers under her chin and slowly lifted her head so that they were looking each other in the eye. The usually sharp eyes of his were softer than many would ever believe they could be, "It isn't annoying. I recall a certain someone pulling me out of my funk when I lost my spiritual powers. Those first few weeks were tough, but you, Ruby Rose, were with me every step of the way. You didn't let my moods or the awkwardness deter you. You kicked my ass into gear. I was so embarrassed by my melodrama that I never brought it up, but thank you for putting up with me. So, let me return the favor. Stop the sulking and getting held up with the what ifs. You're in the present so make the most of this crappy situation. Clear?"

"Clear!" Ruby said with determination. "You're right, no more fooling around. Let's get out of here."

"Yes, yes my lady," he snickered. He pulled out a tablet he 'borrowed' from one of the White Fang idiots and paid for the meal.

Ichigo tentatively took out the tie from his pocket as they took the shortest route to wherever it was leading them to.


	6. Chapter 6

6\. By the sword of my father.

Ruby walked with measured steps towards the direction Ichigo's tie was pointed at, which was held between her fingers. After the third tow her boyfriend had with the article of clothing, she took command of it.

Ichigo could only stare baffled at how functional and well behaved the temperamental tie was being.

Ignoring his confusion, Ruby marched on. The tie led her to a two story log cabin with a dull red metal roof. Stopping at the door, she found herself caressing the wooden frame of the door. She idly wondered if that had been her home once.

She pocketed the tie and knocked heavily against the door. Heavy steps rang behind the door, before it opened.

The man who opened the door was a rugged looking blonde middle aged man. His attire was a combination of different shades of brown with a red bandana on his left arm with a heart tattoo on his other arm.

"Ye-," the man's words died as soon as his eyes met Ruby's. Color steadily drained from his face. The man's eyes seemed to dilate as his glancing shifted between Ruby and Ichigo. But, the man seemed to have some measure of control for his breathing evened out and he appeared genial.

"Hello," the man started again.

Ruby gulped, but kept her nervousness down, "Hey. This might sound weird and everything, but you wouldn't happen to know someone named Ruby, do you?"

"I think it would be best to take this conversation inside. Why don't you and friend step in?" Any remaining energy in the man seemed to fade immediately.

Ruby looked at Ichigo and he merely shrugged. They followed the man inside.

The interior of the house was made primarily of hardwood and well furnished. It appeared well kept and lived in. There was a feel of security and welcome on every surface. Ruby couldn't help the soft smile that appeared as she looked over the place.

The man directed them to the dining room. There were four chairs around the circular table with an additional chair by the wayside, said chair appearing less used than the others.

The man sat down and Ruby took the chair directly in front of him. Ichigo pulled the wayward chair and began to gaze out the window within the room.

A minute of silence passed between Ruby and the man. Each appeared to be searching for something within the other.

The man spoke first, "I knew a Ruby. I am Taiyang and Ruby was my daughter. How do you know that name?"

Ruby froze and really looked at the man. Clenching her fist in her lap, she looked him directly in the eyes and resolutely said, "I am Ruby. I think I'm your daughter. I know this might be hard to believe, but I'm not trying to trick you. You see..." She began patting her skirt, but seemed alarmed.

Ichigo sighed, before pulling out his wallet. Flipping it open, he pulled out a photo and passed it to Ruby.

She nodded gratefully before turning the photo over to the Taiyang. "I have this," she said lamely.

Taiyang mirrored Ichigo's actions and pulled out his own wallet. He placed a worn photo beside Ichigo's photo. Taiyang's photo showed him beside a smiling little girl with dark hair and red highlights. Ichigo's photo showed the same girl, perhaps a year older, beside an equally young version of himself. The pair were smiling widely while covered in dirt. Taiyang seemed to freeze out of shock from looking at the two photos.

Seeing his reaction, Ruby rushed to say, "I know it isn't much, but... "

Her words were cut off as the Taiyang rose from his seat and nearly tackled her in a hug. She was pulled off the chair and couldn't actually reach the ground with her feet. Still, she didn't try to pull away. She could feel Taiyang shaking, barely holding back tears. She wiggled some moving room so that she could hug back, just as tightly. They held the hug as though to make up for the missing years.

Finally, albeit reluctantly, Taiyang placed her back on her feet. "I never thought I would see you alive again," he choked. "When I opened the door, I thought I was seeing things again. I mean it looked like a little Summer was knocking on my door. You even had her silver eyes, a pretty rare thing you know."

She chuckled, "Must've been pretty weird seeing me out of the blue."

He shook his head, "Don't apologize for any of that. I'm just happy for the chance to see you again. All of this has been nothing less than a blessing."

Ruby smiled, touched by his genuine happiness. "If you don't mind me asking, how did I disappear?"

He cringed and looked away shamefaced, "You have every right to know. You disappeared, because I failed you. If I had been paying better attention, I would have never let you or your sister Yang out of my sight. During that time, you two made your way into the forest and were attacked by Grimm. Your Uncle Qrow came in time to save your sister from a tragic end, but you were nowhere to be seen. Yang swore up and down, to this day, that you were swallowed by the ground, but your uncle and I thought she was traumatized by the attack. Still, we held on to hope and used every resource and contact between us to search for you. After years of no results or even leads, we assumed the worst."

"Stop that," Ruby commanded with a light smack to his chest. "You couldn't have known. I ended up far away in a place called Karakura. You probably haven't heard of it before. I wouldn't have ever found you if Kisuke wasn't such a genius. He finally finished a tracker that was based on my energy and traced the location of the last place it was concentrated at. Isn't it amazing? It worked despite how long ago I vanished."

Ichigo snorted and before wearing a neutral expression as Ruby turned to glare at him.

Turning back to Taiyang, she kindly added, "If that isn't enough, then I'll say this. I forgive you for whatever wrong you believe you did to me. But, I think you need to start forgiving yourself. I've seen what that kind of thinking does to a person."

Taiyang couldn't hide the pride and sadness in his tone, "You grew up to be a wise one, eh kid? I know Summer would've been proud. I just wish I had been a part of it." Shaking off his melancholy, he continued, "Never mind me, what about you? You must have all kinds of stories to tell. Mind telling an old man a few?"

Ruby smiled brightly, "Only if you tell me some of yours."

Ichigo saw the interaction and smiled in relief.


End file.
